Naval landing gun and carriage.



PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

R. P. STOUT & P. G. HUGHES. NAVAL LANDING GUN AND CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1903.

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No. 856,376. PATENTBD JUNE 11, 1907.

R. P. swam & P. e. HUGEBS NAVAL LANDING GUN AND CARRIAGE APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29,1903.

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NAVAL LANDING GUN AND CARRIAGE.

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5% mmml u m A 1 IllllllHl No. 856,376. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907. R. P. STOUT & F. G. HUGHES. NAVAL LANDING GUN AND CARRIAGE.

APPLIUATION TILED SEPT. 29, 1903.

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prTn STATES PATENT onrron.

ROBERT P. STOUT AND FREDERICK G. HUGHES, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

NAVAL LANDING GUN AND CARRIAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT P. STOUT and FREDERICK G. HUGHES, citizens of the United States, residing at South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Naval Landing Guns and Carriages, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises various improvements in naval landing guns and their appurtenances, some of the objects being to combine in such a gun great strength with a minimum of metal and to so construct the shield and carriage that they may be arranged in compact form for storage purposes when not in use.

The invention will be described in detail in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 are respectively a side elevation, a plan view and front and rear elevations of a gun embodying the present invention, the shield being shown in operative position in each case; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the slide and turn table, the gun being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the slide; Figs. 7, S andv 9 are cross sections of the slide on the lines 77, 8 8 and 9-9, respectively, of Fig. 6; Fig.10, is a top plan view of the turn table; Fig. 11 is a central vertical section through the turn table; Figs. 12, 13 and 14 are sections through the gun and recoil cylinders taken respectively on the lines 12l2, 13-13 and 14-14 of Fig. 2;

Referring to the drawings, indicates the gun and 21, 22 the cylinders containing the recoil mechanism. As shown in Figs. 12, 13 and 14, the gun proper and the recoil cylinders are integral, that is, they are machined out of a single forging or casting. In this manner the lightest possible construction for a given strength is obtained. Connecting webs 23 unite the recoil cylinders with the gun barrel. The grooves 24, 25 which re ceive the slide 26 are also formed in integral extensions of the piece constituting the gun barrel and recoil cylinders. The recoil cylinders are provided with any suitable recoil mechanism. By the integral union of the gun barrel and recoil cylinders a gun of much lighter construction than can otherwise be obtained is secured, while the connection of the recoil cylinders with theibarrel strengthens the former, and further, the reduction in strength resulting from drilling and the use of bolts, rivets and jackets, and the tendency to fracture from the presence of bolt holes or other openings, are prevented. By these means, guns of higher power can be transported with the same facility as those of lower power where the latter are provided with means for attaching the recoil cylinders to the gun tube. The gun is also provided with any suitable sighting mechanism and breech mechanism. The details of the recoil, breech and sighting mechanism are not included in the present invention.

The gun rests upon the slide 26, the upper side edges of which form guides 27 upon which the gun slides in recoiling. The recoil mechanisms are connected to an up-turned flange, 28, on the forward end of the slide. The slide 26 is supported on a turn table 29 which in turn is supported by the axle of the gun carriage, said axle passing through an opening 30 in the forward end of the turn table. The ends of the turn table 29 are connected with the slide 26 by two series of interlocking tongues and grooves, 31, 32. The slide and the turn table each have depending flanges which taper from their point of junction toward the forward and rear ends respectively. Their larger ends are connected, as shown in Fig. 5, just forward of the axle, by a vertical series of interlocking tongues and grooves which unite the slide and turn table to form a rigid trussed beam for supporting the recoil tubes and the gun throughout their length. The axle passes through the forward end of the turn table, the great part of which is in the rear of the axle. The slide 26 turns about a pivot pin 33 which is located at the middle of the turn table and therefore considerably in the rear of the axle. The pivot is thus located approximately beneath the center of gravity of the gun and by locating it in the rear of the axle and toward the rear of the gun, the gun is given a greater angular movement for a given movement of its adjusting device than in constructions in which the pivot [is located over the axle, it being essential that the adjusting device for training the gun should be near the breech within easy access of the gunner. The slide is turned about the pivot to adjust the gun laterally by means of a screw 34, which passes through openings 35 in the turn table and engages a block which fits an opening 36 in the slidei and slides laterally in an opening 37 in the turn table.

Upon the wheel aXle are supported two frames or cases 38, which are adapted to receive trays 39 containing ammunition. The shield is mounted on the forward end of the ammunition frames or cases 38 and it is formed of a number of adjustable parts adapted to fold upon each other and upon the ammunition cases, so that the shield when folded requires very little space in addition to that occupied by said cases. As shown, the shield consists of two bottom sections 40, two middle sections 41, one on each side of the gun, two upper sections 42 above the sections 41 and an upper middle section 43 which is made in two parts connected respectively to the sections 42.

The sections are connected to sections 41 by hinges 44 and adapted to fold up on said sections, pivoted latches 45 on the upper parts of the sections 41 are adapted to pass through slots 46 in the free ends of the sections 40 and lock the said sections when folded up against the sections 41. The sections 41 are securely fastened to the ammunition cases 38. The sections 42 are con nected to the upper ends of the sections41 by hinges 47 and they are adapted to fold back and lie upon the ammunition cases. The half sections 43 are connected to sections 42 by hinges 48. Each half section 43 is provided with a bolt 49 and these bolts are used in connection with keepers 50 to lock the two half sections in operative position, as shown in Fig. 4 and also to cooperate with keepers 51 to lock the half sections 43 against the sections 42. The sections 42 and 43 are sustained in upright position by folding braces 52 and the sections 40 are permitted to hang down when in use. It will be seen that the several sections of the shield are adapted to be folded compactly against the ammunition cases when the machine is stored or not in action. The ammunition cases are detachably connected with the trail 53 by braces 54.

The trail 53 is provided at its rear end with a supporting wheel 55 for transportation, said wheel being mounted in a bracket 56 which is detachably connected with the trail. The bracket 56 has arms 57 on each side of the'trail which are arranged between mechanism 60 o erated by a hand wheel 61 is provided, as shown in Fig. 1. By removing the wheel, the aXle may be withdrawn, thus disconnecting the turn table, the trail, and the ammunition cases. The turn table and the slide may be disconnected as hereto fore described, if desired.

It will be evident that various changes in details of construction may be made in our gun and carriage without departing from the spirit and scope of our present invention, and hence we do not limit ourselves to the precise construction and arrangement of parts illustrated and described.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a gun, a gun-tube or barrel, parallel recoil cylinders and webs or connecting portions between said tube or barrel and said cylinders, all of said parts consisting of an integral piece of metal.

2. In a gun, the combination with a slide having guide flanges, of a gun barrel and a pair of recoil cylinders consisting of a single piece of metal, said recoil cylinders being provided with projections between which are guide grooves adapted to cooperate with the guide flanges of said slide.

3. In a gun, the combination with the gun tube and recoil cylinders, of the slide upon which the gun is adapted to recoil, and a turn table upon which the slide is mounted to turn, said slide and turn table having depending flanges and being connected end to end by a vertical series of interlocking tongues and grooves, whereby they form a substantially continuous beam for the support of the gun.

4. In a gun, the combination with the gun tube and recoil cylinders, of the slide upon which the gun is adapted to recoil, and a turn table upon which the slide is mounted to turn, said slide and turn table having depending flanges and being connected end to end by a vertical series of interlocking tongues and grooves, whereby they form a substantially continuous beam for the support of the gun, and an aXle passing through the turn table and supporting said beam.

5. In a gun, the combination with the gun tube and recoil cylinders, of an axle and wheels for supporting the gun, a turn table pivotally mounted on the aXle and extending rearwardly therefrom, a slide extending lengthwise of said turn table and adapted to turn thereon about a pivot at the center of the turn table, said slide having a flange or truss extending forward from the turn table and said turn table having a flange or truss extending rearwardly from the slide, the trusses of said slide and turn table being interlocked at their abutting ends and forming a common support for the gun.

6. In a gun, the combination With the wheels and aXle of a turn table having its forward end mounted on the aXle and having a central pivot in the rear of the axle, and a slide engaging said pivot and extending over the turn table, said slide being interlocked With the turn table at the rear end thereof and having its forward portion sustained by a depending flange or truss which is interlocked With the forward end of the turn table, the said slide and turn table together forming a trussed beam to support the gun.

In testimony whereof We have signed our to names to this speelfieation 1n the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT P. STOUT. FREDERICK G. HUGHES.

Witnesses:

H. R. COLLINs, Y J. A. MARTIN. 

